[Hallyupedia] Makjang drama (막장드라마)

by Yun Ji Hyun / Cha Min Kyung

Makjang drama
[ENG] A general term for dramas that develop into excessive situations that cannot be comprehended through common sense or moral standards.

▲ This photo provided by SBS shows the cover art for season 2 of "Penthouse: War in Life".

Makjang is a word comprised of two words: 'last'(마지막·[majimak]) and 'chapter'(장·[jang]), which can literally be explained as the last chapter. This is metaphorically means a person who has reached the last chapter of a particular situation.

This word also translates to a dead end of a shaft, meaning the situation has turned badly to the extent where it cannot get any worse.

Makjang dramas usually contain stories that are extremely dramatic and unrealistic. In order to raise view ratings, the dramas mainly deal with complex relationships between characters, especially because it involves provocative reasons such as affairs, infidelity, and or secret births.


▲ Traditions and characteristics of Korean Makjang dramas
In Korea, the term "Makjang" has been used since the mid-2000s. It began to be frequently used when the SBS drama "First Wives' Club" became popular among the viewers in 2007.

Additionally in 2008, SBS aired another drama called "Temptation of Wife" which started the craze about soap operas and created a makjang drama syndrome, which is talked about until this day.

 

 

▲ This photo provided by SBS shows the poster picture of the makjang drama "Temptation of Wife" that aired in 2008. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Both dramas which dealt with stories about a wife finding out about her husband's affair and seeking revenge afterwards, earned 40% of viewership.

Some of the most recognizable makjang drama writers are Lim Sung-han who wrote: "Dear Heaven"(2005), "New Tales of Gisaeng"(2011), and "Princess Aurora"(2013), Kim Soon-ok who wrote: "Temptation of Wife"(2008), "Jang Bo-ri Is Here!"(2014), "My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol"(2015), "The Last Empress"(2018), and "The Penthouse: War in Life"(2020), and lastly Moon Young-nam known for writing "Famous Chil Princesses"(2006) and "First Wives' Club"(2007).

These makjang dramas often deal with cliché themes such as affair, betrayal, revenge, secrets births, amnesia, and conflict between the rich and the poor. Some of the works were controversial due to absurd story settings such as the characters suddenly dying or being possessed by ghosts.

While makjang dramas receive negative comments, people are still addicted to watching it because they are interested in the provocative stories that unfold quickly in each episode.

When criticized for creating such controversial storylines, writer Kim Soon-ok mentioned in an interview, "As a drama writer I don't think my main priority was to deliver valuable lessons or messages through my dramas. All I wanted to give my audience was hope. Hope for people who wanted to die because they don't have a reason to live, hope for grandmothers and grandfathers who are lonely. If my drama provides joy to their lives and they're looking forward to next week's episode then that itself is my greatest reward I can get."

▲ Recent Issues : The Return of the Master of Makjang dramas

As the number of cable channels increased in the early and mid-2000s, the competition for view ratings between makjang dramas increased at the same time. Nowadays, over-the-top media services (OTT) such as Netflix have also become part of the competition between broadcasting and production companies.

Makjang drama writers Lim Sung-han and Kim Soon-ok who are titled as the masters of makjang dramas have made a splendid comeback by producing dramas that have an extreme storyline.

Last year writer Kim Soon-ok wrote the first season for the SBS drama "Penthouse: War in Life", which became widely popular and recorded almost 30% in viewership as soon as it aired.

▲ This image provided by SBS shows the season 1 poster for "Penthouse: War in Life" that aired in 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Meanwhile writer Lim Sung-han released the TV Chosun drama "Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce)" this year--six years after declaring the end of his writing career. The drama is also known to be very successful in terms of viewership as the domestic viewership rankings increase on Netflix every time a new episode is released. The production for the second season of "Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce)" has also been confirmed.

On top of that, the new KBS weekend drama "Revolutionary Sisters", written by Moon Young-nam is also scheduled to air next week.

Through these two dramas, it is clear that the power makjang dramas hold, are unable to be ignored and is still relevant to the public. Recently released dramas are also seen to add elements of thriller and mystery to the existing makjang storyline in order to attract younger viewers as well.

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